


Conversations, 1954, 1955

by telemachus



Category: The Charioteer - Mary Renault, The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Double Drabble, International Fanworks Day 2015, M/M, literary criticism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-15
Updated: 2015-02-15
Packaged: 2018-03-12 23:49:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3359876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/telemachus/pseuds/telemachus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Laurie remains one to read books, and discuss them. Ralph remains - bitter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Conversations, 1954, 1955

“Really Spud,” Ralph sighs, “more of that elves and swords rubbish?”

Caught, Laurie flushes, and makes the fatal error of trying to justify,

“I told you, I like – warriors, in love – he gives them dignity, romance. Hidden in plain sight. I’d’ve thought you’d understand.”

A bitter laugh,

“Oh, please, Spuddy, the writer’s Catholic. It’s easy to see you didn’t grow up in a Christian household.”

“No, he does. Besides, he is a professor, Oxford – “

The spectre of Ralph’s missing education rises once more, and the subject is dropped.

 

 

 

Finishing, Laurie is glad for Ralph’s refusal to read.

If the thought has crossed _his_ mind that Gimli had near on a century of sea-longing to wait out, while he is at times impatient after a mere fifteen years of coming home unexpectedly to find his lover pouring over charts, routes his ship will never take – how much more would Ralph feel the comparison.

But when, urged on by the collusion in obsession he feels whenever Sandy – poor Sandy, lonely Sandy – visits, Ralph finally forces his way through the volumes, it is not that which brings on the opening of the rum.

“Bloody Frodo didn’t know when he was well off,” he says, vicious in his pain, “one finger. One fucking finger. No-one ever lost their command over one finger.”

**Author's Note:**

> 1954, 1955 are of course, the years of publication of "Lord of the Rings".
> 
> Ralph's line "It's easy to see you didn't grow up in a Christian home." is canon, please don't flame me for it!


End file.
